S/Y Twizzle is one of the most sophisticated projects Royal Huisman has undertaken. It called for high levels of ingenuity and expertise to realise a truly progressive superyacht that would deliver optimum sailing performance together with comfort and amenity comparable to that of a motor yacht.
The glass rimmed superstructure was a significant challenge. Designed to appear as if floating above the deck with little visible means of support, in reality the flybridge superstructure had to house a half-raised bridge deck and also had to be sturdy enough to withstand everything the elements could throw at it. It had to support the needs of the mizzen mast, take the full load of the main sheet runners, provide a solid anchorage for the mizzen staysail tack and still make a fine aesthetic statement. Dividing the forces on this structure while rejecting cumbersome tie rods or impeding structural elements was no small challenge. It was crucial that Dubois Naval Architects and Huisman’s engineers make real – and substantial – Redman Whiteley Dixon’s pen-and-ink imagery; imagery that included a massive sliding glass wall and wrap-around deckhouse glass panels that became the largest ever made by Yachtglass.
The stern swim platform offers a case study in engineering ingenuity. The transom slides down and pivots open to reveal a two-level swim platform linked by adjustable teak steps that can be raised or lowered above water level. The upper level offers access to leisure equipment whilst the lower houses a swimming ladder. There is not a hinge, ram, catch or cable in sight: the entire, invisibly pivoted hydraulic operation is automatically programmed from deployment to stowage – even including fresh water flushing of the swim ladder as it is retracted.
The foredeck area is impressive for its vast, clean and uncluttered space and (on the face of it) uninterrupted teak planking. In fact there are 18 flush hatches in this area, all custom-fabricated by Rondal. Concealed hinges and the absence of margin planking render them all but invisible, yet two are large enough to contain Castoldi 21 jet-driven tenders. A further Royal Huisman innovation, driven by the owners’ desire to avoid deck clutter, is the installation of eight ventilation ports in the bulwarks, incorporating a Lloyds-approved snorkel and ball system to ensure watertight integrity when the boat is heeled. Such attention to detail is also evident on the flybridge and covered aft-deck, where unusually wide teak planks are laid athwartships and stylishly complemented with off-white caulking.
A further engineering challenge was the installation of a single propulsion unit in a shoal-draft hull with a deep-draft centerboard, rather than the more conventional twin-screw arrangement. This was achieved by lowering the centerboard trunk to reduce the drive shaft angle, in the process creating a small area of keel.
Among many other notable build features are the fly-by-wire “glass cockpit” bridge; the custom-designed and built rudder torque feedback system; a highly efficient soot-burning system for the generator exhausts; an exceptionally advanced communication, electronics and entertainment system, Twizz-net (the custom Royal Huisman Alarm & Monitoring system); the Dynamic Positioning System; the fully sunlight-readable flybridge screens for data and sail control at both helming stations; smart-card security for yacht access; and full-width, custom glass sliding doors from Rondal between the main deck salon and the aft-deck dining area.
This is a project where the devil truly is in the detail. With a major emphasis on optimizing interior space within a minimalist visual concept it was essential to design, build and install the operating systems for maximum operational reliability and accessibility, while minimizing their intrusion on space or sightlines.
The greatest engineering achievements of this project perhaps reside in what you cannot see rather than what you can.
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